Lost and Found
by Dead Darling
Summary: A fluffed up version of how Willow and Tara came to be.


biDisclaimer:/b I don't own Willow. Or Tara. Or any of the other characters. And it will always be that way, no matter how many times I Wish Upon a Star. The prettiest couple in the world (along with the other insignificant characters) belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.  
  
bAuthor's Note:/b Basically a fluff fic. Sweet and romantic. The idea came from a daydream of mine./i  
  
Lost and Found  
  
[Tara]  
  
I think I love her.  
  
Really? No. Who am I kidding? I've known the girl for... how long? A few weeks. Right. You don't fall in love with someone after a few weeks. That's just me fooling myself. That's just wistful thinking. It's not love. No, definitely not. Isn't it, though? I mean, dear gods. I think about her every other hour. Does it matter? Who cares how often I think about her? It's a crush. It's just that. Random hormones running around. It'll pass. Besides. She's straight. She had that boyfriend. Oz, right? Right. Oh shit, Tara. This is bad. You don't go around crushing on a straight girl. This is bad. Bad bad bad, and I still can't get her out of my head.  
  
[Willow]  
  
Tara's been avoiding me lately. I went to her place yesterday to see if we could do some spells, and she was all avoidy. Like. Like I've pissed her off or something. Did I piss her off? No. probably not. Probably it's just me being paranoid. That happens. I mean. Why would she be angry at me? Right. I didn't do anything. She's just... been feeling down or something. Maybe... maybe something happened at home. But it's not me... I don't think.... Hey, but if something happened to her, do you think I should go and try to cheer her up? After all, she's my friend. And I care about her. And she's mad at me and I'm rambling and I'm all paranoid again and this isn't helping. I think I'll drop by and see if she's feeling any better.  
  
[Tara]  
  
Oh geez. It's Friday night and not only am I lonely, I'm lonely and angry and confused and I've got no idea why. Something to do with Willow, maybe? Yeah, probably. Jesus. I hate her, except I want to hug her and squeeze her and kiss her. Does that make sense? Probably not. I hate how she does this. All of this. I hate how she can make me bouncy and cheerful just by saying "hi" in the hallway, and how she makes me so sullen when she talks about Oz. Oz and how he left her and how hurt she was. I think I'm jealous. Jealous of Oz, because Willow loved him, but then she lost him.  
  
And when we're sitting there at 11:00 studying for that big test the next day, and we're sitting on the bed and she just starts to drift off, she looks so pretty. So pretty, with her red hair falling over her eyes. And I just sit there, and I feel frustrated. I hate how she makes me so frustrated without knowing. It's just that I'll never hold her. Oz used to kiss her and protect her and comfort her. I can comfort her, but it's not the same. To her, all I'll ever be is a good friend. And I sit there on the bed at 11:00 staring at her, and thinking all these things. Oh gods, how I wish I was Oz. I'd have never left her.  
  
[Willow]  
  
Well. I went to see her on Thursday. We had this test the next day, and I figured I could be her study buddy or something. It was nice. Her room is really cozy. She's got this gorgeous blue bed with wavily patterns and giant pillows. Huge pillows with pictures of dolphins. I fell asleep on one of them. I remember I woke up and and there was this giant dolphin eye staring at me. Kinda unnerving, but funny at the same time. Anyway, it was nice cuz we woke up all snuggly-wuggly. It felt nice. I guess. I mean, she's my friend. It was like a sleepover. Right. A study-sleepover. I guess all that studying paid off, cuz the test was a bucket of easy.  
  
I think I should take Tara to the Bronze sometime. She could meet Buffy and Xander and Anya. After all, I don't think she gets around a lot. I got the impression that she spends most of her time studying. Yeah. It'll be like girls' night out. And I can get to know her better.  
  
~~*******~~  
  
"Hey, Tara!"  
  
"What? Oh... oh hi, Willow. W-w-what are you doing here?"  
  
"In the hallway here, or standing next to you here?"  
  
"Um. Standing next to me here."  
  
"I dunno. I mean. Finals are comin' up, right? I read in this article somewhere that you do better when you're relaxed. So I figured maybe we could do some relaxing. You know? We could go to the Bronze, maybe? And I could introduce you Buffy and the gang. Um...."  
  
"Um...."  
  
"Saturday? Would Saturday be okay?"  
  
"What? Yeah... s-s-sure. I-i-it's fine. I mean. Yeah. I'd love to go."  
  
"Really? Great! Meet you around 7:00?"  
  
"Sure. Um...."  
  
"Super! You'll like Buffy, I promise. She's really nice. Well, see ya' later then!"  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
~~*******~~  
  
"Oh dear gods. What am I doing?!" Willow thought as she rummaged through her closet for a suitable outfit. "I mean. This is Tara. I'm meeting her at the Bronze to relax before we melt our brains on the finals. It's not like a date or anything." She stopped, staring at her closet with obvious disdain.  
  
"Geez, why am I doing this?" she said to any wandering air molecules that happened to care. "Know what? I'm just gonna wear this green shirt. There!" And with that, she pulled it on and slammed her closet shut. "Ha! I win!"  
  
~~*******~~  
  
"Oh no.... Why did I ever agree to this? I'm sitting here, and Willow's chatting with Buffy, and Xander and Anya have gone off to shag somewhere, I think. I'm just sitting here sipping my drink. Goddess, I must look so pathetic. I had high hopes, too. Like maybe Willow really likes me or something, but she's too shy. Right. As if. That stuff only happens in fairytales." Tara cursed herself for her introvert personality.  
  
"What about you, Tara?"  
  
"Hmm? What?"  
  
"What do you think about Mr. Beeman? He's definitely wearing a toupee."  
  
"Oh. Um... definitely a toupee. I mean, his eyebrows aren't the same color," Tara said while she congratulated herself. "Hey wow, I didn't stutter," she thought.  
  
"Hey! You're right! You think he should dye his eyebrows?"  
  
"No, Willow. He'd go blind if he tried that."  
  
"Right, Buffy. And we definitely wouldn't want that."  
  
"Come on, Wil, he's not that bad."  
  
"Sure he is! Like that time he made me and Tara write this giant essay on koalas for talking in class. Tell her, Tare"  
  
"Well, actually. He did warn us. I... I mean. That was probably the... sixth? Yeah. The sixth time he told us to shut up. And koalas are cute. It wasn't that bad"  
  
"Aw, you're no fun. Can't you let a girl antagonize in peace?"  
  
"Nope. Absolutely not," Tara joked as her hopes for the evening rose.  
  
~~*******~~ [Willow]  
  
Well.... That was spiffy fun. And... it was fun. Spiffy fun. So... why do I feel dissapointed? Dissapointed like how kitties feel when some other fuzzy gets to go home with their new friend. But I'm not a fuzzy. So I shouldn't be longing for a new friend. But I am. Um... I'm a fuzzy trapped in human form and the fuzzy part of my mind is finally starting to take over? Okay. But what about the new friend? What friend? I have one. Why do I suddenly want to go home with her? Or... not? Yes?  
  
[Tara]  
  
Wow. Maybe... maybe Willow's bi or something? I mean. I was pretty sure I picked up on something after that third round of crazy dancing. It was like a fairytale. Except Prince Charming was a Princess. So it wasn't a fairytale, because I'm pretty sure mothers don't read gay bedtime stories to their children. Unless they're really weird, but... yeah okay no.  
  
~~*******~~  
  
Ugh. Groan. Am I really gonna do this? This crazy going on a date idea? Because really, I can turn around and leave. But it's Tara I'm asking. And she's special. And I really like her. And she's pretty and a kick-ass wiccan and has long hair and looks funny when she's nervous and stutters a lot. So then she looks adorable and speaks adorably when she's in a tight spot. And this going up to her and asking is definitely tight. So hurrah! I win even if she says no!  
  
~~*******~~  
  
*Knock knock*  
  
"Wait. What am I doing?"  
  
*Knock? ... Crrrreak*  
  
"Oh. Um, h-hi, Willow. Did you leave something here?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh, o-okay. Um. You can come in and get."  
  
"I hafta come in?"  
  
"Um. Well. You can tell me what you need and I can go get it for you. Um. Can you not come in or something?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Well...."  
  
"I.... Would.... Are you gay?"  
  
"What?! I mean. I-I'm sorry. What?"  
  
"I just made you eyebrows go up."  
  
"Um. Yeah"  
  
"Yeah? Like, yeah you're gay, because that would make things easier."  
  
"Easier? Like, like how... easier. With the you coming in and getting whatever you left here?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Um? I-if it helps. This is weird, you know?  
  
"I know. But it would help."  
  
"O-okay? Okay. I'm gay."  
  
"You promise?"  
  
"What? I have to promise? Look. Willow. This... this is weird. I mean. Your blue sweater is in my room. I can go get it, i-if you want it back."  
  
"No. Not the sweater."  
  
"Um. Okay then? D-did you leave a notebook here? Because I have a stack of notebooks. Maybe one of them is yours."  
  
"Please promise?"  
  
...  
  
"O... okay."  
  
"Say it. Please?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"Really truly yes you're not lying?"  
  
*sigh* "Really truly yes I'm not lying. Can you come in now?"  
  
*big smiles* "Yeah.... Yeah I can."  
  
"Okay then. G-great. Um. I have your pencil, if that's what you want. You d- dropped it. Um. I found it."  
  
"Like how I found you." 


End file.
